Tesla Bulls Push Wild Robotaxi Theory, But Gary Black Says The SpaceX Merger Talk Makes No Sense At All

The article centers on debate around Tesla’s robotaxi strategy and speculative merger chatter with SpaceX. Investor Gary Black dismissed claims that Elon Musk is intentionally slowing Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing rollout to facilitate a cheap stock-for-stock SpaceX acquisition, calling the idea absurd and citing dilution, valuation, and governance concerns. He remains cautious on Tesla due to declining earnings estimates, the commoditization of unsupervised autonomy, and stretched valuation. The piece also notes Tesla is facing renewed scrutiny after a fatal Texas crash and lawsuit, adding to PR pressure and uncertainty around autonomy. Separately, Amazon-owned Zoox unveiled an updated robotaxi, signaling rising competition in autonomous ride-hailing. Overall, the story is mildly bearish for Tesla sentiment because it highlights skepticism about the merger thesis, legal risk, and competitive pressure, while reinforcing uncertainty around robotaxi monetization.